The Dominican University softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader to the Carthage College Lady Reds on Tuesday evening at the Ballpark in Rosemont, dropping game one 1-0 before losing another one-run decision in game two, 2-1. The Stars managed just eight hits on the day, four in each end of the twin bill.
With the losses, the Stars fall to 9-7 on the season with their Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) opener on deck with the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors visiting the Ballpark on Sunday evening. First pitch of the opening game of the two-game set is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Game One: Carthage 1, Dominican 0
The Lady Reds plated an unearned run in the top of the fifth, providing all the offense needed to knock off the Stars.
Cat Klostermann went the distance for Dominican in the loss, surrendering just the one unearned run on five hits and one walk while striking out six.
Stefanie Guercio was equally impressive, limiting the Stars to just four hits while striking out 12 in the complete-game victory.
Carthage's Courtney Polanski led off the top of the fifth with a single to right and went all the way to third when Madison Kern's sacrifice bunt was mishandled at first. Polanski then scored when Emmily Zinkiewicz flew out to centerfield.
Dominican threatened in the bottom of the sixth when
Gabby Curran singled to right to start the inning. An out later,
Sydney Kuderna reached on an infield single but Guercio escaped the inning, getting the next two hitters to set the Stars down.
Game Two: Carthage 2, Dominican 1
In the nightcap, it was Dominican that took a 1-0 lead in the fifth, scoring when
Cecilia Winters McCarthy singled up the middle after
Maddie Sniegolski roped a one-out triple to the gap in right-center. Dominican then loaded the bases when Curran followed with a bunt single and
Jessica Evans reached on an error but Carthage's Naomi Alonzo escaped further damage getting a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning.
The Lady Reds responded with two runs in the top of the sixth. Brooke Sefcik tripled to center before a pair of walks loaded the bases. Mackenzie Miller then singled to center plating Sefcik and Polanski was able to score when the ball was mishandled in centerfield. Kuderan then came on for the Stars, escaping the inning with a foul out and fly out to left field but the Stars could not get a base runner the rest of the way.
Klostermann took the loss in the circle, working two-plus innings in relief of
Allyson Dilday. Dilday limited the Lady Reds to two hits and two walks over three innings before turning the game over to Klostermann.
